Chapter Fourteen #2
“I’m standing right here.” Moth growled at the kind man who had always been so nice to me. “She’s fine.”
Josh searched my face before edging between us. He looked down at me, his forehead creasing deeply. “I can give you a ride home if you like? I won’t let anyone treat you badly.” His face was a picture of genuine concern.
Forcing a fake smile, I shook my head. “It's fine. This is an old friend who’s anxious about his injured friend. He didn't mean me any harm.” I glanced past Josh to Moth. “Did you?”
Moth glared at me. “Are you ready to go?”
His words were like sharp daggers, totally not giving the impression that I would be safe in his company. Instead of giving him a reply, I turned back to Josh. “I better go. I’m due a delivery tomorrow, so I’ll see you then.”
Pursing his lips, he nodded. He was clever, he would’ve seen straight through my lie. However, I had no idea what Moth was actually capable of, so it was best to just get him away from my friend. Apparently, being around me sent Moth into a crazy frenzy.
“Very well.” Josh reached for my hand.
Moth’s hand appeared next to mine, blocking any contact. “We need to get going if we're going to get to that meeting in time.”
I glanced at both proffered hands and, against my better judgement, slipped my fingers onto Moth’s palm.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Smiling at Josh, I went with Moth, releasing his hand as soon as we were near the exit.
Josh watched us go, giving me a wave when I glanced over my shoulder. He was the sweetest guy I knew. I’d always had a soft spot for him, so why had I taken Moth's hand instead of his?
We walked in silence, crossing the parking lot quickly.
When we reached Moth’s motorbike, I stood by it, not sure what to do.
Moth had mentioned a meeting, which was code talk for planning Brandon’s revenge.
I wasn’t against the idea of making Brandon pay.
However, I couldn’t just let him slaughter the man.
“Here, put this on.” He handed me his helmet. “And then climb on the bike. We’re going to talk.”
Running a hand over the intricate moth that had been painted on the plastic, I licked my cracked lips. My head was tired, my body was achy – yeah, from the force of his thrusts against the bar – and I just wanted to sleep for days.
Instead, I pulled the helmet over my head and climbed up on the bike behind him.
My arms wrapped around his waist, clinging tightly when he started the engine and pulled away, guiding the bike out onto the road.
The wind whipped my hair, the rush of speed soothing my body.
I’d assumed he would take us to my place, but instead, he drove to the outskirts of town.
By the time we'd driven up a track and come to a stop outside the burned house, it was too late to protest.
I got off the bike as soon as the engine died, taking a few steps away from it… from Moth. My eyes were drawn to the half burned down structure. My chest squeezed at the memory of that day, of the chaos that had unfolded in moments. The charred remains of the roof was a reminder of what I’d done.
At first, I’d heard rumors that the firefighters had managed to put out the fire. I’d believed that everyone had got out until the news reports started. A boy named Jack had died in the fire. They hadn’t managed to save Wasp.
“Why did you bring me here?” I took the helmet off and shoved it into his chest.
Embers in my stomach burst into flames as I strode away from him, trying not to look at the front door, which stood wide open. The track to my left led out of there and that’s where I started to walk. I couldn’t stay and see the damage I’d caused.
“Oh no you don’t!” Moth jogged around me and turned to block my way.
Dodging around him, I flipped him off and carried on. “Leave me alone.”
“Leave you alone?” he called, stepping to catch up to me again. “You apologize like it means nothing. You’re as numb to it as I am but at least I grieved him.”
“Don’t lie!” I shouted over my shoulder as my footsteps got faster.
He grabbed my wrist, wrenching so hard, I yelped and came to a stop. Once he released me, I broke into a run, straight towards the trees. The crunch of leaves was loud behind me and my breath came in short bursts. I had to get away from the torture.
His arms came around me from behind and he hauled me from my feet. I kicked and screamed, grabbing his arms and pushing. He grunted when the heel of my boot slammed into his shin, but didn’t release me, not even an inch.
“Let me go!” I cried, bucking my head back and barely missing his chin.
He ignored my efforts and kept going, carrying me straight to the steps of the house. I tried one more time to hurt him, digging my nails into the skin on his strong forearms.
Once we were over the threshold, he hissed in a breath and threw me to the ground. I gasped as I landed on the wooden ashy floor. I didn’t have time to react, he was beside me, on his knees.
Lifting my hair, he pressed his mouth to my ear. “This is where he died.” He pointed at the beam that still lay across the hallway. “I begged him to get up, tried everything to get his leg free, but he was trapped. The fire would’ve–”
“Stop!” I shouted, shoving him away from me.
He didn’t budge, just caught my arms and held me firm, facing me towards the beam.
“You said at the hospital that you didn’t kill him,” he spat, “but if you lit that fire, you did. He wanted to save the few precious memories we had, so he stayed behind, hunting through our belongings. When we went to leave, the beam fell on him. I had managed to get past without getting burned, but I came back for him. I tried everything to lift the hot beam. I was too young, too weak.”
My whole chest constricted as the tears poured down my cheeks. “Don’t. I’m so sorry.”
“What’s that?” he hissed in my ear. “You don’t want to know how painful it is to know your brother is about to die and you can’t save him?”
“I do know!” My words were squeezed through my tight throat. “I know exactly how it feels! I found my brother… Please.”
He released me roughly, getting up and pacing to the beam, where he stood staring down at a spot on the floor.
“I’m sorry.” I cried hard, cradling myself with my face in my hands. “I never meant to hurt anyone. When she said she’d done it, I tried to put it out. I’ve paid for it, many times over, I swear I have.”
My cries echoed around me, and the pain of everything unleashed, leaving me shuddering in a ball on the floor. Right in the ash stains I’d caused.
The image of my lifeless brother came into my mind and I hiccupped, unable to stem the grief that poured through me in waves.
“My brother… he left a note saying that… his demons were too much. He couldn’t save me from Brandon…
he couldn’t save himself… I can't breathe.” I gasped for breath. “I… can’t… breathe.”
Moth’s arms came around me and he hugged me to his chest, shushing me like he would a child. “Just relax and breathe. Deep breath, now.”
Stars danced across my eyes as I gulped, trying to suck air into my constricted lungs. Moth held my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “Deep breath in.” I did as I was told. “Deep breath out.”
His gravelly voice calmed me enough for me to copy him. He squeezed my shoulders, urging me to do it again and again, until I was breathing normally.
Relief washed over me and I looked at him properly. His cheeks were slightly damp. Had he cried when I did? No, surely not. He was too numb.
“You’ve never told me what actually happened to your brother,” he said, still holding my shoulders but no longer offering that closeness. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
Swallowing, I wiped my face with my top, grimacing when my black mascara smeared on the white material. “I tried to perform CPR, but there was no point, the damage had been done. I brought him back to life, just to say goodbye again.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled a shaky breath. “I confided in my brother when Brandon started to stalk me. He tried to threaten him, and report him to the police, but all to no avail. In the end, Brandon started playing mind games with him too. It sent him over the edge.”
Moth pushed up to his feet and offered his hand, helping me to mine. The anger that had been rolling off him for days was now dissipated.
“We need to make a plan to stop Brandon, once and for all.” Moth led me into the kitchen at the back of the house. “Are you sure you don't want to watch me kill him?”
I wasn’t sure whether I should be petrified that he was being genuine. By the look on his face, he was. Or whether to be grateful that he would do that for me… or Fly… it was actually Fly. If Brandon hadn’t maimed his friend due to jealousy, Moth probably wouldn’t have given a shit about him.
“I prefer that people get proper justice for what they do,” I said.
“Of course you do,” he muttered, “you’ve had a life that instills a belief that justice is served in society.”
Was it that? Maybe. I hadn’t suffered early childhood trauma. Was my view outdated?
“No,” I tried to push back. “Death is too kind for some people, that’s all.”
He closed his eyes and inhaled, long and deep. “You sound like me. I used to think that too, but it's taking a long time to make people pay.”
“On your list?” I muttered, keeping my gaze low and to the side when I looked at him.
His eyes darted at me. “What do you know about that?”
I stood straight and took a step towards the window, pausing when unrolled sleeping bags came into view. My hand went to my chest and I sighed. “Fly told me you have a list. I'm assuming it's a vendetta type list.”
Grunting, he went to the nearest sleeping bag and kicked it gently. A scorpion toy sat underneath, discolored from staying in the same place for so long. Moth bent and retrieved the bug toy, shaking his head as he rubbed it.
“What number am I on that list?” I said, barely above a whisper.